at kindergarten and you think
that of me! Thanks, Steve!"

"Well, what----"

"Now you hold on! I'm going to tell you something." Tom was on his feet
now, his hands on the edge of the table, his gaze bent sternly on his
chum who was seated across the littered surface. "I didn't even see that
blue-book of Upton's. I'll swear it wasn't on Mr. Daley's table when I
went down there. I know nothing of how it got into this room. I tell you
this on my word of honour, Steve. Do you believe me?"

Steve's gaze met Tom's troubledly, then shifted. "Oh, if you say so, I
suppose I'll have to. But if you didn't bring the book up here----"

"That means you don't believe me," said Tom quietly. "Very well. Now,
one more thing, Steve." Tom's eyes were blazing now, though his face was
white. "Don't you speak to me unless you have to from now on, until you
come to me and tell me that you believe what I've told you!"

"But, Tom, you can see yourself that it's mighty queer! If you----"

"You heard what I said! Perhaps you think I owe you something for trying
to shield me from Mr. Daley. I don't, though. When you set me down for a
cheat you more than squared that account. That's all. After this I
don't want you to speak to me."

Steve shrugged his shoulders angrily. "That goes," he said. "When you
want me to speak to you, you'll ask me, Tom! And don't you forget it!"

Both boys went back to their letters in silence. After a while Steve put
on a raincoat and tramped down the stairs and over to Hensey. He meant
to call on Andy Miller, but Andy was out and only the saturnine Williams
was in the room. Although Steve had grown to like Williams very well,
yet, in his present mood, the right tackle was not the sort of company
Steve craved, and after a few minutes of desultory football talk he went
on. He would have called on Roy and Harry, but now that he and Tom had
quarrelled they would, he thought, side with Tom. In the end he found
himself in the gymnasium. Several fellows were splashing about in the
tank and Steve joined them. For an hour he forgot his troubles in
performing stunts to the envious appreciation of the others in the pool.
Applause was grateful to him that afternoon, and when he had dressed
himself again and, avoiding the room, had gone across to Wendell to wait
for the doors to open for supper, he felt better. Perhaps, he told
himself, Tom really didn't know anything about that plaguey book, but
even so he needn't get so coc